Composite wedge.



A. J. McARTHUR. COMPOSITE WEDGE. APFLIC ATION FILED DEC-3. I915;

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.-

171067116 Qndreu) J arThur 1, att

UNITED STATES RATED] '1 un'nruru.

ANDREW J. MoARTHUR, or ATLANTA, GEORGIA, Assrenon ro Union FIBRE COMPANY. or WINONA, MINNESOTA, A conronarrofi or MINNESOTA.

COMPOSITE WEDGE.

Specification of Letters I'atent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW J. MoAn'rrrun, a citizen of the United States, residin at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and tat'e of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Composite Wedges, of which the following is a specification.

In a companion application for patent filed herewith, I have illustrated and described an insulated barrel which includes a series of flexible staves. These staves, except one, are first loosely arranged, edge to edge, about the inner periphery of: a barrel and the last stave of the series, which forms a key for the lining, is finally pressed into place.

The object of the present invention is to provide an efiicient tool, particularly, though not exclusively, adapted to press such loosely arranged staves together, so that an ade quate space may be formed to freely receive the final or key stave and 'thus complete the annular lining.

My invention also includes various novel features of construction which are hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1v is a perspective view of the external wedge (forming part of my invention), illustrated as used upon the inner periphery of a barrel; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the complete device; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the internal wedge; and Fig. 4 is an edge view thereof.

The embodiment of my invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, comprises what I term an external wedge A and an internal wedge 13, which, when in place, is adapted to expand the members of the wedge A. Said external wedge A consists of two identical members 12 slidablv connected at their ends by transverse links 13; the outer edges 14. of said members 12 are curved longitudinally to correspond with the edges of the abutting staves which are to be spread. The length of both wedges A and B is substantially equal to that of the staves to be placed; the outer or convex surfaces of both wedges correspond with the curvature of the inner periphery of the barrel to be lined and both wedges, for convenience in construction and manipulation, are formed in upper and.lower sections which are respectively articulated by means of the hinges 1'1.

The adjacent or inner edges 15 of the members 12 taper toward each other, gradually converging as they approach the bottom. The front side of each member is formed with an enlargement 16 at each end. The links 13, slotted longitudinally at 17, are secured at one end upon enlargements 16 by a pivot 18 and the other ends of the links are secured upon the enlargements 16 of the companion members 12 by a pintle 19 pass ing through the slot 17 in said links respec tively. To render the slidab'le connections between. the links 13 and members 12 more secure, I place a keeper 21 between the head of eacli pintle 19 and the correspondinglink, and't'urn the ends 22 of said keeper't'o slidably embrace the edges of said link.

The edges of the internal wedge Bare tapered toward its lower end, the slope of said edges corresponding in degree with the co-acting inclined edges 15 of the adjacent members 12. The upper end of said wedge B is enlarged to form a driving head 23 and enlargements 24 and. 25 are respectively provided upon the front sides of the upper and lower sections of said wedge B. The enlargement 2 1 is curved or beveled at its lower end and the enlargement 25 is similarly curved at both ends to facilitate the adjustment of said internal wedge between the members 12 of the external Wedge A. The upper edge of said enlargement 24; is square to form a shoulder 24 adapted to catch beneath the upper link 13, when the wedge B is lifted so as to remove the wedge A from the barrel with saidwedge'B. One of said members 12 is supplied at its upper end with a hook 27 to pass over the upper edge of a barrel and support the wedge in position to expand the staves.

In operation, the external wedge A is hung from the upper edge of the board, by means of the hook 27, within the vacant space to be filled by the final stave, the members 12 of said wedge being spread by hand to bear against the adjacent edges of the staves on either side of the gap in said linin as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The interna wedge B is then inserted between the members 12 of said external wedge A and forced downward between said members to position illustrated in Fig. 1. The forcible insertion of said wedge B spreads the members 12 until the space occupied b the composite wedge is large enough to reely receive the final stave of the lining, whereupon the linin staves adjacent to the wed e are temporarily held apart by tacking t e same to the barrel or otherwise securing them. The Wedge may then be removed from the barrel, after which the final stave is put in place and the adjacent staves released.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a composite wedge, an external wedge consisting of two members comprising upper and lower halves hinged together, links pivotally connected at one end to one member and pivotally and slidably connected at the other end to the second member and an internal centrally hinged wedge to spread said members.

2. In a composite wedge of the class describe an external wedge consisting of two connected members having their outer sides curved to conform with the inner periphery of a barrel, the outer edges of said members being also curved to conform with the edges of adjacent lining staves and the copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing' the inner edges of said members gradually converging as they approach the bottom, and an internal wedge centrally hinged and desifgned to be inserted between the members 0 said external Wedge so as to forcibly spread the same, the edges of the last mentioned wedge converging toward its lower end and adapted to coact with the inner edges of said external wedge.

3. In a composite Wedge, an external wedge consisting of two members formed with enlargements at their ends, said members comprising upper and lower halves hinged together, transverse links secured upon said enlargements to slidably and pi-votally connect said members, an internal wedge adapted to be inserted between the members of said external wedge to spread the same, enlargements on said internal wedge adapted to pass beneath said links so as to laterally adjust said internal wedge with respect to the external wedge, one of said enlargements having a shoulder thereon designed to catch beneath the upper link and remove the external wedge when said inter nal wedge is lifted.

Whereof, I have hereunto name to this specification.

ANDREW J. MGARTHUR.

subscribed my Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O." 

